Examined Sep 24, 2026 Paid in cash Promo code, no link needed E*TRADE's banner says up to $1,500, but the table underneath it pays $50 to $10,000 by deposit size, and the money has to stay for twelve months after the 60-day funding period.
Most readers sit in the first three rows: $50 for $1,000, $150 for $5,000, $300 for $20,000. The hero line we read still showed the old figure beside the new one, “Now get up to $1,000 $1,500 for a limited time”, while the table for the same promo code runs on to $10,000. Read the table.
What pays what
| Under $1,000 deposited | Nothing |
|---|---|
| $1,000 to $4,999 | $50 |
| $5,000 to $19,999 | $150 |
| $20,000 to $99,999 | $300 |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | $600 |
| $200,000 to $499,999 | $1,000 |
| $500,000 to $999,999 (the banner's number) | $1,500 |
| $1,000,000 to $1,499,999 | $3,000 |
| $1,500,000 to $1,999,999 | $5,000 |
| $2,000,000 to $4,999,999 | $6,000 |
| $5,000,000 or more | $10,000 |
| Money moved from another E*TRADE account | Does not count |
This table is for a new client opening only one account. Securities count as well as cash, valued at the closing price on the business day received. Assets transferred from an existing Morgan Stanley AAA brokerage account are excluded, at E*TRADE's sole discretion.
Do this, in this order
- Check which table you are under. The figures above apply only if you have no existing E*TRADE account, open one self-directed, non-retirement brokerage account, and open no other for 60 calendar days after enrolling. Anyone else is paid under different terms, set out below.
- Enter OFFER26 while you open the account, by October 31, 2026. E*TRADE says you must enroll during account opening, online or with a representative, and that the code can be used only once for one account. It emails a confirmation of enrollment.
- Fund within 30 days, not 60. The offer gives 60 calendar days to bring in the money. E*TRADE's FAQ on the same page gives the account itself less: “You can open an account for free and fund it later, but it must be funded within 30 days to remain open.” The money must come from accounts outside E*TRADE.
- Aim at the bottom of a tier. $5,000 earns the same $150 as $19,999. Only deposits inside the 60 days count toward a higher one.
- Touch nothing for 60 days, then hold for twelve months. The credit is paid within seven business days after the 60-day period expires. Trading losses do not count against you; withdrawals can.
- Plan for tax. The terms say cash credits may be subject to US withholding taxes and reporting at retail value, and that taxes on them are the customer's responsibility.
New funds or securities must (i) be deposited or transferred to the new E*TRADE account within 60 days of enrollment in this offer; (ii) be from accounts outside of E*TRADE; and (iii) remain in the new E*TRADE account (minus any trading losses) for a minimum of twelve months after the 60-day funding period otherwise your cash credit(s) may be surrendered.
If you already have an E*TRADE account
The new account's credit stops at $1,000. For existing clients, and for new clients who open more than one account within 60 days, tiers under $200,000 pay the same $50, $150, $300 and $600. From $200,000 upward the second table credits the new account $1,000 in every row, however much goes in.
Anything more depends on your other accounts. The larger totals need at least $500,000 deposited into your eligible-linked E*TRADE accounts in the same 60 days. Deposits are then added together and the credit is split pro-rata across the accounts. E*TRADE's example: $550,000 into the new account and $500,000 into linked accounts pays $1,000 and $500.
Limits that apply to everyone. Business, retirement, advisory and futures accounts may be excluded, as are non-U.S. residents. You may be enrolled in only one offer at a time and it cannot be combined with any other. “Each client is limited to a maximum of three new account offers.” And the offer can be withdrawn before its printed date: “E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley reserves the right to terminate this offer at any time.”
Where E*TRADE's own page disagrees with itself
Three ceilings for one code. The hero line shows $1,000 and $1,500 side by side, the navigation banner says up to $1,500, and the deposit table ends at $10,000. All are attached to OFFER26.
Two codes on the savings offer, until E*TRADE fixed it. The same page offers up to $800 plus 4.25% APY for 6 months on a new Premium Savings Account; the rate was 4.00% when we read the page on September 18, 2026, and had moved to 4.25% by September 24, 2026. On September 18 the label above that card carried the code SAVING26 while the sentence beneath it said to use SAVE800. By September 24 E*TRADE had fixed it: the label now reads “Promo code: SAVE800” and the sentence beneath it says “Get up to $800, plus 4.25% APY for 6 months when you open and fund a savings account with qualifying deposits with code SAVE800.” The bonus terms call the code single use. They pay $400 for $20,000 to $99,999 of net-new funds and $800 for $100,000 or more. The two savings disclosures also close enrollment at different times on January 10, 2027: 8:45 PM ET for the promotional rate and 11:59 PM ET for the cash bonus.
What is not published. The page carries no last-updated or effective date. The limitations include the sentence “You must be the original recipient of this offer to enroll”, and nothing explains what that means for a code printed on a public page. A third offer, code RETIRE26, pays up to $10,000 on a new retirement account over the same deposit bands; its hold rule is stricter: the credit will be surrendered, and E*TRADE may debit the account for it.
Is it worth your time?
The small tiers are the generous ones: $50 on a $1,000 deposit is 5 percent of the deposit ($50 divided by $1,000). $150 on $5,000 is 3 percent, and $300 on $20,000 is 1.5 percent. Higher up it thins out: $1,500 on $500,000 is 0.3 percent, and $10,000 on $5,000,000 is 0.2 percent. The price is the same in every row: about 14 months in which pulling the deposit out puts the credit at risk.
The money is not frozen in cash while you wait: the terms forgive trading losses, and the page lists $0 commissions on online US-listed stock, ETF, mutual fund and option trades. For someone who wanted a brokerage account anyway, this is a fair trade. For an emergency fund, it is not.
